If the South Africa vs India, 2nd ODI has to be defined in two words, it will be called an Ultimate Thrashing by the visitors. While Virat Kohli (46*) and Shikhar Dhawan (51*) guided team India to a comprehensive victory with 29.3 overs still to spare it was the bowling attack that made it all possible.
Coming into the South Africa vs India ODI series with a series defeat of 2-1 in the Tests leg, expectations were already high from Virat Kohli & Co. who were about to take on the No.1 team in the format. However, team India’s trust in wrist spinners has finally paid off as they now enjoy a 2-0 lead in the 6-match series.
Yuzvendra Chahal (8.2-22-5) and Kuldeep Yadav (6-20-3) were the stars of the South Africa vs India, 2nd ODI as they didn’t give any Proteas batsman to even cross the 30-run mark and their effective bowling, which put the hosts under a lot of pressure, helped India to restrict South Africa to a total of mere 118.
While more than half of the match was already won by the vectors in the first innings, the 93-run partnership between Dhawan and Kohli ensured a comfortable victory for India, which chased down the total with a loss of one wicket and in just 20.3 overs.
Here is a statistical highlight from the South Africa vs India, 2nd ODI which perfectly reflects the Kuldeep Yadav And Yuzvendra Chahal’s dominance in the rainbow nation.
- Yuzvendra Chahal is now the first ever spinner to take a five-wicket haul in ODIs against South Africa in the Rainbow nation.
- Kuldeep Yadav is the first Asian spinner to take multiple three-wicket hauls in an ODI series against South Africa in their own backyard.
- South Africa vs India, 2nd ODI marked the first time in 16 years when the Proteas lost six or more wickets against spinners in a home ODI.
- Yuzvendra Chahal’s tally of 5/22 is the second best figures for a spinner in the format in South Africa after Nicky Boje’s tally of 5/21.
- Chahal’s 5/22 is also the second best ODI figures against Proteas in South Africa next to Wasim Akram’s 5/16.
- Chahal is the only second Indian after Ashish Nehra to claim an ODI fifer in South Africa.
- The total of eight wickets by Yuzvendra Chahal (5/22) and Kuldeep Yadav (3/20) is the second-best tally by wrist spinners in an ODI inning.
- South Africa were all-out for just 118, making it their lowest ODI total at home while their previous lowest score was 119 runs against England in 2009.
- Shikhar Dhawan became the fourth player after Rohit Sharma, Gautam Gambhir and Suresh Raina with whom Kohli has now added 2000-plus runs in ODIs.
- This was the fourth largest defeat for South Africa in ODIs (in terms of balls) with 177 balls to spare.
Everything said and done, two matches into the South Africa vs India ODI series and the Virat Kohli-led squad is bossing it, with a lead of 2-0. Chahal-Kuldeep, the trump cards, have made the bowling attack even more strong, having picked up 13 wickets, which is already a marked improvement.